US2954934A

US2954934A - Adjustable sprinkler system

Info

Publication number: US2954934A
Application number: US788843A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earthur O Hatanaka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-01-26
Filing date: 1959-01-26
Publication date: 1960-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 1977-10-04

Description

Oct. 4, 1960 E. o. HATANAKA ADJUSTABLE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Filed Jan. 26, 1959 INVEN TOR. 5297/1/09 0. Rpm/VI? FIG. 6.

r 2,954,934 Patented Oct. 4, i960 ice ADJUSTABLE SPRINKLER SYSTEM Earthur '0. Hatanaka, 1420 S. New Hampshire, los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 788,843

4 Claims. (Cl. 239-231) The present invention relates to improvements in sprinkler systems which are adjustable for watering diiferent patterns in lawns, shrubbery and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved pattern sprinkler system which may be accurately adjusted using a plurality of independently adjustable elements, all of which after preliminary adjustment may be firmly secured so that water pressure and vibration do not alter the adjustment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler system as set forth in the preceding paragraph incorporating a rotary sprinkler.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved sprinkler system of this character which incorporates novel water stream intercepting elements and which incorporates novel means for effecting adjustment of the same. i

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a sprinkler system embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the device illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the band upon which the adjustable elements are mounted; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating one of the bands used in locking the deflecting elements in position once they have been adjusted.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a conventional sprinkler 10 having mounted thereon a structure 11 embodying features of the present invention for establishing the pattern sprinkled by the sprinkler 10.

The sprinkler 10 may be of any of the well known types which are commercially available in which a stream of water is automatically and periodically interrupted when and as the sprinkler head is rotated in step-by-step fashion through either a full circle or oscillated through a limited sector of a circle. Since the sprinkler '10 per se is conventional and well known in the art, a detailed description of the same need not be included here. However, for the purpose of reference, the sprinkler 10' may be considered to be of the construction shown in the Englehart US. Patent 2,256,737, issued September 23, 194 1.

The nozzle of the sprinkler 10 is represented at 12 and serves to direct a stream of water in the direction indicated by the dotted line 13. Such stream 13 may be a continuous stream or a pulsed stream, i.e. in which the stream is periodically interrupted. The sprinkler 10 is of the socalled reaction type in which the water pressure serves to rotate or oscillate the nozzle 12 about a vertical axis corresponding to the axis of the conduit 14 through which the water flows from the connecting fitting to the nozzle 12.

The conduit 14 has mounted thereon the structure 11 and for that purpose the structure 11 is supported by three equally spaced radially extending

arms

15', 16, and 17 which are somewhat flexible and have their inner ends welded to a split collar 18, the collar 18 in turn being clamped to the conduit 14 by the bolt and nut combination 19 as shown in Figure 2. The upper ends of the

arms

15, 16 and 17 are fixed to equally spaced circumferential points on the cylindrical member 20 such that the axis of such cylindrical member 20 is co-extensive with the axis of the conduit 14.

As shown in Figure 3, this cylindrical member or drum 20 has a flange portion 20A for supporting an apertured transparent plastic shield 22. This drum 20 has a series of equally spaced apertured portions 20B located substantially midway between the ends of the drum 20 i for supporting corresponding ones of a plurality of water- Q deflecting elements 24.

These elements 24 are individually adjustable using the construction now described. Each of the deflectors 24 has a longitudinally extending slotted portion 24A through which a machine bolt 26 extends, such bolt 26 extending also through a corresponding one of the apertured portions 20B. A prestressed coil compression spring 28 has one of its ends abutting the inner wall of the drum20 as shown in Figure 3 and the other one of its ends abutting the washer 29, such washer 29 being mounted in adjusted position by the nut 30 on bolt 26. The nut 30 is adjusted to provide a desired frictional connection between the corresponding deflector 24 and the outer surface of the drum 20 whereby the deflector 24 may be movedto any one of a plurality of adjusted positions as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.

It is noted further that each of the deflectors 24 has integrally formed side plates 24B and 24C at opposite sides thereof for cooperation with like; plates on adjacent deflectors 24 whereby adjacent deflectors serve as guides for movement of the particular deflector which is independently adjusted. Also, each of the deflectors 24 has a pair of integrally formed

tongues

24D and 24E at opposite ends thereof, the lower one only of which is effective for deflecting or interrupting the stream of water. It will also be noted that the lowermost tongue 24D extends downwardly and outwardly with the plane of the tongue being so disposed that it makes an acute angle with respect to the axis of the water stream as indicated by the angle A in Figure 1. Each of the deflectors 24 may be adjusted so that they completely interrupt the flow of water or may be so adjusted that the lower tongues 24D present a surface on which the water stream impinges with a glancing blow and assure dispersal of the water in a downward direction.

The transparent plate 22 serves as a shield in that it prevents splashing of the water upwardly while an adjustment is being made.

The assembly as described may be mounted on a base 32 adapted to rest on the ground and fastened by means of flanges 31 to the assembly.

In operation, with the sprinkler locked in position and the Water turned on, the deflectors 24 are adjusted individually and while such adjustment is made, the operator is protected from splash by the screen 22' which, because of its transparency, allows him also to observe the nature of the impingement of the water stream on the particular deflector being adjusted. After each of the elements has been adjusted to establish a predetermined pattern, such adjustment may be secured using the

flexible clamping bands

34 and 35, each of which is constructed 3 as illustrated in Figure 6'. These

clamping bands

34 and 35 rigidly hold each of the deflectors 24 in adjusted position using for that purpose-fastening means 36 passing through apertured ends of corresponding bands.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. 'In a sprinkler system of the character described, the combination comprising, Water sprinkhng assembly having a turnable element adapted to turn the stream upwardly and outwardly while the element turns, a stationary drum mounted coaxially of said element and having a plurality of deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as it turns, each of said deflectors being individually adjustably mounted on the periphery of said drum and movable thereon in a direction extending parallel to the axis otthe drum to restrict the range of said water stream as desired or away from said path to an inoperative position, whereby an area bounded by a non-circular perimeter may be watered, each deflector having an elongated slotted portion, said drum having an apertured portion, a bolt passing through said slotted and apertured portions, a nut on said bolt and a spring confined by said nut and functioning to resiliently press the deflector on said drum.

2. In a sprinkler system of the character described, the combination comprising, water sprinkling assembly having a turnable element adapted to turn the stream upwardly and outwardly while the element turns, a stationary drum mounted coaxially of said element and having a plurality of deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as it turns, each of said deflectors being individually adjustably mounted on the periphery of said drum and movable thereon in a direction extending parallel to the axis of the drum to restrict the range of said water stream as desired or away from said path to an inoperative position, whereby an area bounded by a non-circular perimeter may be watered, and a common clamping element for engaging and clamping said deflechaving a plurality of deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as it turns, each of said deflectors being individually adjustablymounted on the periphery of said drum and movable thereon in a direction extending parallel to the axis of the drum torestrict the range of said water stream as desired or away from said path to an inoperative position,lwhereby an area bounded by a non-circular perimeter may be watered, said drum having a downwardly inturned edge, and a transparent plate serving as a splash shield mounted on saidinturned edge.

4. In a sprinkler system of the character described, the combination comprising, water sprinkling assembly having a turnable element adapted to turnthe stream upwardly and outwardly while the element turns, a stationary drum mounted coaxially of said element and having a plurality of deflectors mounted in the path of the water stream as it turns, each otsaid deflectors being individually adjustably mounted on the periphery of said drum and movable thereon in a direction extending parallel to the axis of the drum to restrict the range of said water stream as desired or away from said path to an inoperative position, whereby an area bounded by a non-circular perimeter may be watered, each of said deflectors comprising an elongated element having an elongated slotted portion and outwardly turned plate elements which cooperate with like plate elements on adjacent deflectors for guidingthe deflector during adjustment of the same, and fastening means passing throughsaid elongated slot for securing said deflector on said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS